Transparency
Parish Councillor Roles
What does a parish councillor do?
The duties, and pleasure, of being a local councillor are many and varied. However, one of the most important tasks of a councillor is listening to and understanding the views of people in their community. The parish council provides a focus for the community to identify concerns and projects and endeavours to solve them.
Through all of their functions, councillors will draw on their own skills and experiences, and it is the sharing of these skills that makes a strong team.
The role includes:
Involvement with the community
- Listening to and understanding the views of the community
Attendance at parish council meetings
- Reading all the relevant documents in advance
- Attending the meetings, considering the local issues
- Making decisions on behalf of the community
- Agreeing and signing off financial expenditure, e.g. budgets, accounts, costs, invoices
Local planning documents
- Reviewing and considering planning applications
- Inputting and feeding back comments
Working groups
- Getting involved in delivering local projects
- Using your knowledge and expertise to contribute
- Being part of a team
- Observing the ethical code of conduct
Role of the parish clerk
The clerk is employed to advise and seek advice on behalf of councillors to assist them in their decisions.